Is another wave of covid coming for the unvaccinated?

(Originally July 30) It's been predicted that covid would surge. More than once, this didn't happen, and sometimes it did. When Texas dropped its mask mandate, covid was supposed to surge but didn't. Now maybe we're seeing signs that there is somewhat of a surge in Missouri and Arkansas in areas where there is high resistance to getting the vaccine. Health officials in Missouri are alarmed at the rise of covid cases, but they can't get the governor to take it seriously. Because of the partisan divide, and conservatives have to be against vaccines since libs/progs are for them. This is such stupidity.<---I wrote this originally on 7/10. Now we've had nearly three more weeks of the surge, and it's definitely happening. 

Currently the death toll isn't rising, but it has stopped dropping, which indicates that up is the next direction. Cases are up 400% in the US since July 1. Hospitals are filling up with covid patients.

Not only the unvaccinated are affected. An outbreak centered in Provincetown MA included over 800 vaccinated people. The delta variant is known to been more transmissible. It became the dominant variant in the UK, and has becoming dominant in the US too. The CDC is recommending masks again indoors. 

Republicans are split on whether to encourage vaccination or remain defiant. Too bad for them that even reality of overflowing hospitals doesn't open their eyes. 

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So how did this turn out? Big waves of hospitalizations and deaths in southern states. Much less in the midwest, west, northeast and mid-Atlantic. 

For a long time, the 6 states with the highest deaths per capita were: New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Louisiana. These states were hit hard early on before the lockdown and social distancing responses. 

With the high death tolls from July-September '21, (and still substantial in early November), the 12 states with the highest death rates are Mississippi, Alabama, NJ, Louisiana, NY, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, MA, Georgia, RI, Oklahoma. That's such a different geography from before, and all because of low vaccination rates when the delta variant arrived. 

What happened with the Provincetown, MA outbreak? Not much. Massachusetts was affected by delta, too, but it increased death rates from very low into a low range. Many southern states, on the other hand, had their biggest waves yet since delta was more infectious than the earlier variant. Due to the partisan-tinged anti-vax stubbornness, over 100K Americans died who would be alive today. 

And the divide over how to respond to covid remains bitterly ideological. The conservatives are sticking with their anti-vax stance even with the known visible results from the various US states. Doubling-down unto death is happening too often, which demonstrates the bitterness of the divide. 

Image: worldometer

The end of Liz Cheney, a morality tale.

 (Originally May 7) Liz Cheney is soon to be removed from her leadership position in the GOP hierarch in the House. Her unforgivable error was to vote for Trump's impeachment and be vocal about it. She was trying to hold Trump accountable for his part in the failed coup on Jan. 6. 

She survived one vote shortly after the impeachment by over 2-to-1. Now it looks like Kevin McCarthy has thrown her under the bus and will let others run her over repeatedly. 

Why the change? I don't know. Maybe it's jockeying in the deep GOP circles, as people have to swear loyalty to Trump (and his lies) or they get dumped. I can believe Trump-support is that strong in some places. However, in general I think Trump will get weaker and he'll continue to get weaker. He doesn't have much of podium, and his program of whining about the election will look more and more immature as time goes on. I think this will shrink the GOP because a lot of people in the US are smarter than that, and will want some results instead of just resentment whines 24/7. 

But with people who remain in the Republican party, Trump may be a post you latch on to. Rally around him.... in the absence of actual policy and issues. This should cost the GOP in the midterms, but that's not a certainly at all. It depends on what the Dems are doing. Are they have their own crazy moments, or is sanity holding sway?

It looks like Cheney will be replace by another token woman, Elise Stefanik from upstate New York. She's been a good GOP barbie, repeating all the requisite lies. I doubt she'll be able to lead in anything other than continuing to sell out and cash in. Liz Cheney cashed in on being a GOP woman in Congress, so why not someone else. It's not like Cheney got the position because she was well known for her scruples. 

Image: glitternight.com

Extras. Mitt Romney was booed at a convention in Utah. When he came to the podium to speak, there was lots of clapping and warm response, but the boos were in that background and didn't stop until a party leader admonished the crowd. Not good Mormon behavior folks. 

Update 6/30/22. Liz Cheney is getting some very thorough revenge. She's doing great in the hearings about Jan. 6. Very poised and on-point, without grandstanding. June 28 was particularly devastating with a top aide of Mark Meadows spilling a lot of stories not heard before. GOPers wanted to relegate Cheney to the ash heap, but she's not going there.